HOUSEHOLDERS in North Yorkshire have been urged to hide their valuables in unusual places after a scientific study revealed how experienced burglars choose predictable routes when raiding homes.

Research found that career crooks targeted high-value areas such as bedrooms, studies and living rooms, but were suspicious of unusual rooms and rarely entered bathrooms.

The University of Portsmouth ran the study on the methods used by burglars and non-burglars after seeing their actions first-hand during mock burglaries.

In the tests, all the experienced burglars entered houses by the back door, while the novices went through the front door.

All the burglars navigated the house in a systematic way, with half heading straight for upstairs bedrooms and avoiding bathrooms before returning downstairs.